New York or California?

[zot09]

Deffinitly California! Well, I am a bit biased, but I love it here! You can find almost anything you want in California, especially if you are in Southern California! Not only that, but you will be relatively close to home. Trust me, I just finished my first year of college at UCI, and i'm so glad that I didn't go to the East Coast. I had missed family so much, so it was nice living only 6-8 hours away from home.

But yeah, I would deffinitly recommend Southern California. Maybe the Orange County area? You get the lovely traffic of city life(hwy 405), but it is sprawled out enough that you don't get claustophobic. Plus, there is such a diverse community around that area. You have the nice, and clean, Newport Beach area which has some awesome beaches. You can go up north a little and go to Garden Grove and get some awesome asian food, and a change in scenery if the Newport Area bores you. Not only that, but you're only a hour away from LA if you want a dose of that city life. But seriously, if you're looking for something like Seoul(I'm Korean myself, well half. And i've been to Korea maaannnnnyyyy times), then the OC is not it. You may want to check out LA or SF.

[NJjustin]

Cali!!...beach and mild winters. Winter sucks balls here in the north east.

[c-lee]

go to cali ... it'll probably be less of a cultural shock and you'll have easier time adjusting...

besides so cal has a ton of hot korean chics!

[SocalTy]

No place on earth like NYC. But I agree, being your from the west coast it will take sometime to adjust. Everything is at a fast pace in NYC. But the good thing is, there is always something to do in NY. Everything is open late, you don't really need the car, tons of people to socialize with, everything is in close proximity, all kinds of good and weird food everywhere(the village).

As soon as I'm done wih school in california, I'm heading right back to ny. I can't wait till then. Life is different out here and I'm just used to the NY life. One thing I never got used to though in NY is those cold cold cold winters. Better invest in a Northface Alpine ski jacket if you do decide to go there. Good luck!

[Squawks]

Been to both - nearly all of CA, and many parts of NY (both upstate and 4 of the 5 burroughs of NYC). Right now I am in Ithaca NY just because my school is out here but if I had the option to go upstate NY or NYC with the same school, I would no doubt pick NYC.

A friend of mines lived in Boston for about 4.5 years when he was getting his PhD at Harvard - he hated the East Coast with a deep passion mainly for one reason: the east coast's mindset is completely different than the West Coast. The biggest difference you will notice is that the number of courteous and respectful persons will dramatically decrease when you move from the west to the east. This obviously isn't going to affect your lifestyle if much at all, but all the little things add up: people no longer respectful/courteous to each other; cash register people at grocery stores rarely say "good day, how are you doing? Did you find everything OK?"; people don't give up their seats for old people on the subways; people show absolutely no interest in helping you out if you ask for directions; people don't even smile as much as people in CA. These are all subtle things but they add up and after living years on the East Coast - if you are coming from the West Coast it will make life Hell.

In CA (and much of the west coast for that matter) people are respectful, kind people (not to say none exist on the east coast). Random people will offer me change out of nowhere if I'm fiddling with my pockets by parking meters. People in restaurants and grocery stores nearly always greet you with a smile and greeting. Everybody is much more relaxed. Ask anybody who's broad and lived in many places what they think of the East Coast and they'll almost always give you the same answer: "Everybody's in a rat-race". That will be the attitude you'll get.

On some smaller quirks, I hate several things about New York:

1) It takes way too damn long to close on a house. Once a deal is agreed upon, a whopping 2 months or more is need to actually close on the house and then you can move in.
2) Dealerships offer no temporary insurance for buying cars. You have to have insurance in-hand to drive the car off. Lame.
3) Registration and inspection of vehicles are posted on your windshield. Absolutely heinous. In CA, inspection is just a sticker on your license plates and registration can be kept in glove compartment and shown when asked for it.
4) No In-N-Out on East Coast. At least I haven't found any. Maybe this is a good thing for my health.
5) Lower speed limits here. Or maybe people drive faster on the west side.

Things I absolutely love about NYC that you probably can't find anywhere else:

1) Hands-down the best public transportation ever. Subway can take you to any part of NYC you want to go to and it's fast, 24/7, and easy to use. It's not as dangerous as most people like to make it out to be.
2) Many, many, many things to do around the clock. The city doesn't sleep - many grocery stores and fruit stands are 24/7. It's insane. I can get up at 2 AM and get a good hot dog for 75 cents.
3) You probably can't drive around much in NYC because there is scarce parking and the roads are horrible. Potholes left and right. On top of that, city traffic is always there and can be quite bothersome for you coming out from Oregon. This is a heartbreaker because as a Californian I am proud to be able to drive anywhere, anytime with a car (camping, snowboarding, Vegas, roadtrip, etc.). You basically give up a chunk of your independence.
4) Did I mention there's always something to do? I got bored of San Diego real quick but I don't think you can get bored of NYC for a really, really long time.
5) Job opportunities are immense in NYC - depending on which field you're in.

Cons:
1) NYC is the filthiest city I have ever seen in my life. Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens - they're all incredibly filthy - the curbs of parkways, freeways, and main streets literally look like landfills. Literally - no joke. If you're coming from pristine Oregon you will most definitely be apalled by this.
2) No grass in Manhattan. If you have a dog, tough luck. He needs to learn to piss/crap on concrete by curbs unless you miraculously land a miracle $2,500 apartment a block away from Central Park. Otherwise, I don't think you would like to walk 6 blocks everyday to take your dog out for a 5 second piss. This was also a dealbreaker for me because I have two dogs.
3) No trees either...for many, many, miles. This is a megacity. I love trees. You coming from Oregon, this will be one hell of a shock. Central Park is extremely beautiful, however - has lakes, trees, grass, you name it.
4) Everybody has a stick up their ass, especially law enforcement. Since 9/11 they treat everybody as a potential terrorist - I guess for the better. If you like taking pictures of places they'll be eyeing you. Many places you actually can't take pictures like tunnels, airports, etc. They used to confiscate your cameras.

If you are a bachelor, which I believe you are not, life would be very nice in NYC as there are tons of bars and clubs. If you are domesticized as me life can still be as good but I was just noting that chasing girls in NYC would be quite fun. With a woman you probably wouldn't be clubbing as much.

[lux.sh]

Thank you all for such comments. I really really appreciate it.
I am reading them again and again since this is very important for me.
Its good to hear from people in CALI/NY and even from outer states.
please keep them coming.
(Squawks, im still reading yours, so I'll comment on that later. Thanks!)

I would like to share few thoughts at the moment.

Weather: Im one of those winter person. I can't stand hot weather, and thats one of the main reason why Cali's fine warm weather throughout the year is a downside for me. Surprising to see that most people picked cold weather as a downside, since im more of a winter person. Im just one of those person who must see some snow during winter.

Then again, I LOVE driving. When I get stressed, depressed or just feeling bored, I just go for a spin. I heard there is no road like this in NYC. I've been to califronia alot(compared to NYC, visited only once), and thought its a pretty nice place to drive around. Plus, I plan on buying a convertible.

Relatives/Friends/Home: Cali is definitely closer, and my girlfriend might also move to cali. so that is a HUGE plus. Not to mention shorter airplane travel if I have to visit my families in south korea. Though, I have a really good friend of mine in NYC waiting for me to come.

Its basically still a big big big big big dilemma for me. Life all of sudden seems to hard and complicated. I plan on being a CEO, yet I can't even make such easy decision(or is it a difficult decision..?).

Please make me feel better by saying this is a tough choice.

Again, thank you everyone. Please keep the opinions coming. more the better!

[aphall]

For me, NYC is a nice place to visit and maybe stay awhile, but not a place I'd settle down in. Depends on your preference for the fast paced city life of NYC or the very laid back life of California. If I had a choice, I'd go to NYC for school, then come back to Cali. I did one semester in Washington D.C., and it was the best experience of my life. I say, go for the most drastic choice/place for you.

EDIT: just re-read your post above. If you're planning on being a CEO, then sometimes going to a school where you plan to make your statement is important. For instance, I'm a USC alum, and the USC alumni network on the west coast is phenomenal. As for weather, you mentioned that you like Cali's moderate weather. However, the reason I loved Washington D.C. is because there were actual SEASONS. I saw snow, I experienced spring.... it was incredible in that it was so different from Cali where I was born and raised. I like anything that gets me out of my comfort zone and helps me grow through my experience. Ask yourself, where will YOU most benefit from the experience? I think family and girlfriend are important to an extent, but IMO, those things can wait for a few years while attending college. You can ALWAYS come back... but the older you get, the harder it will be to make more "drastic" decisions. My girlfriend regrets not studying abroad, and now she's always asking me if we can work and live some place other than Cali for a couple years. Hahaha.... But I got my fix already.

[Squawks]

Lux.sh - regarding weather, it's actually worst in NYC because not only do they get high highs, it's usually very humid/sticky over there.

In CA it depends on where you live - for example, the bay area is remarkably cooler than Sacramento and Los Angeles. San Diego is quite moderate as well although during a heatwave it will indubitably get hot (and sometimes very humid).

Like you I am also a cold person - would rather duke out the cold than the heat. In winter in CA it gets cold, but if your skin is thick you can still brave it with just t-shirts through the whole winter although if you are further inland like San Jose, Sacramento, East LA, East San Diego, etc. the cold may force you to put on a jacket. But you'll never have to wear a coat in CA unless you live in east CA.

EDIT: You may say you're a cold person - that's what I continue to claim too although when I first visited NYC it was during February during one of the coldest weeks. The chill factor was astronomical and it was so cold that your nose and your ears would turn red and begin to hurt. You don't get that kind of cold (sub zero degrees) on the west coast such as Oregon because the Pacific Ocean buffers us from extreme winters. Boston, for example, during winters is damn chilly. Pain is multiplied during windy winters, which occasionally happens in NYC. It's so dry your eyes hurt as well.

[tl_boy]

a lot of good info in this thread. if i ever moved, i also weighed moving to the NYC, or maybe San Fran. I think NYC would be a great choice if he is an up and coming CEO. I have done business with New Yorker's, and they are some of the toughest, shrewdest business people you will come across. There is a lot to be learned in the field of business from New Yorkers. The weather sucks, but, like London, the city makes up for it imho. I'm not suggesting he settle there, but I think it would do well for him if he experienced the city and learned new things.

[zamboni]

Sunny California.

[GAaaAR]

I am from new york and to be honest the weather really isn't as bad as you guys make it seem to be. You learn to get use to it and you learn to do different things in different seasons. I can enjoy the summer and all the hot days in the beach and i can also enjoy the winter like go upstate snowboarding and stuff. Why is everyone always looking at being cold as a negative thing, just try to enjoy it. Dont you want to be able to experience all 4 seasons of the year and just do different activies in different seasons and wear different clothing. Have you ever been in manhattan during new years and just look around and just admire at the amount of people walking around and the amount of things that are all going on at the sametime. Have you ever walked out in the streets in manhattan in 3am in the morning during halloween and see superman talking to batman and see some asian guy with purple hair dress up as some anime character and then look to your left and see a group of blonds dressed up as playboy bunnies going somewhere and everyone is either going to a party, or leaving a party or just bar hopping. O not to mention NYC is a extremely diversed city, with all types of people from all over the world. Its like the ultimate big melting pot here. I love it, i can eat all these different types of food from different cultures and meet people from all parts of the world! Sure new york is fast paced and the people are always rude. But thats just how NY is and i love it, everyone is always so busy, trying to get from point a to point b. Its the city of all cities. You can make an arguement and say there are a few other cities that are kinda like cali, but theres just nothing like NYC. O yea not to mention you want to get into business? which city do you think is going to be better for that?

[BellasBmw]

Originally Posted by GAaaAR

I am from new york and to be honest the weather really isn't as bad as you guys make it seem to be. You learn to get use to it and you learn to do different things in different seasons. I can enjoy the summer and all the hot days in the beach and i can also enjoy the winter like go upstate snowboarding and stuff. Why is everyone always looking at being cold as a negative thing, just try to enjoy it. Dont you want to be able to experience all 4 seasons of the year and just do different activies in different seasons and wear different clothing. Have you ever been in manhattan during new years and just look around and just admire at the amount of people walking around and the amount of things that are all going on at the sametime. Have you ever walked out in the streets in manhattan in 3am in the morning during halloween and see superman talking to batman and see some asian guy with purple hair dress up as some anime character and then look to your left and see a group of blonds dressed up as playboy bunnies going somewhere and everyone is either going to a party, or leaving a party or just bar hopping. O not to mention NYC is a extremely diversed city, with all types of people from all over the world. Its like the ultimate big melting pot here. I love it, i can eat all these different types of food from different cultures and meet people from all parts of the world! Sure new york is fast paced and the people are always rude. But thats just how NY is and i love it, everyone is always so busy, trying to get from point a to point b. Its the city of all cities. You can make an arguement and say there are a few other cities that are kinda like cali, but theres just nothing like NYC. O yea not to mention you want to get into business? which city do you think is going to be better for that?

LoL, i cant wait to be there. Great post!

Cali is my home, my love.. but nyc is def a close second.

[aphall]

I remember taking some class and to prove some point the teacher said, "If I were to say, meet me at 12:00 AM... And we were anywhere in the world, what place would first come to mind?"

I think some people said Grand Central Station.... But the majority of the people said Time Square. I don't know why this all has any relevance. I'm going to go wash my car now.

[NJjustin]

Originally Posted by BellasBmw

LoL, i cant wait to be there. Great post!

Cali is my home, my love.. but nyc is def a close second.

your going to be out on long island though arent you? hofstra right?

[bmwbenz0101]

California is a great state, but for the love of god do not move to LA. If you are going to move to California either move to San Diego or Orange County somewhere. LA is the ugliest city, with the worst traffic, and honestly it is a pretty boring city for its size. Don't be fooled by the stereotype that California is a warm place, LA gets very chilly at night. The beaches in LA= Garbage.
On the other hand NYC is the best place in the world to live, as long as you can afford it. Do not move to any of the burrows besides manhattan, they are disgusting and have horrible traffic. NY has beautiful seasons, the people are nice and friendly(contrary to popular belief), and honestly as most people say, there is no other place like NYC in the world. Try and find an apartment in the upper west side, its much more affordable than the upper east side, and is a great investment, as the upper west side is being redeveloped at a crazy rate.

lux,

8 words . . .

East Coast Least Coast, West Coast Most Coast.

[vladinecko]

dude, cali all the way. i'm here on a business trip right now and i don't wanna leave. east coast is only cool because of nyc and d.c. california is cool because of a million things. everything is more expensive but fuck it man, you only live once. nyc is just as expensive.

CA all the way!

[c-lee]

here is another reason why you should move to so cal ...

casual saturday morning at Crystal Cove...

[NJjustin]

Originally Posted by CMD

lux,

8 words . . .

East Coast Least Coast, West Coast Most Coast.

thats retarted.

Originally Posted by NJjustin

thats retarted.

It's a fact.

[zot09]

Originally Posted by c-lee

here is another reason why you should move to so cal ...

casual saturday morning at Crystal Cove...

Dude, you have noooooooooo idea how glad I am that I went to UCI. After I found out that they had this at CC every Saturday, I was ecstatic. It was as if it were a mini-Concourse d'Elegance at Pebble Beach...*drool*. Like I said earlier, CA all the way! Especially the OC.

[Scarabeo]

Originally Posted by Juve29

Go to California. The weather in NYC sucks. Winters are too cold.

I absolutely agree..the weather is horrible on the East Coast - the winter lasts for ever. Trust me - I have lived in CT and San Diego...I think San Diego has it all, great weather, good schools, incredible coastline, and most of all, California girls!!!!